Chicano thetatre can trace its roots to as early as the 16th century arrival of Spanish conquistadors and priest. In the 19th century, Chicano theatre was prosperous in San Francisco and Los Angeles and quickly spread across the country to as far as Chicago. Unfortunately, the companies experienced a dip during the Depression and WWII. Chicano plays can occasionally be characterized by a unique group creation element called creación colectiva (collective creation). Additionally, plays often include language in both English and Spanish which is interchanged as the writer sees fit. This mixture of language is common with the Chicano population.
Hispanic theatre represents U.S. immigrants from Spain and every Spanish-speaking country in the Western Hemisphere but, the theatre derives manly from Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico. The theatre has extensive history in the conquest of the New World as early plays portrayed messages that supported the mission of the military and missionaries bringing Christianity to native populations. Hispanic theatre is an umbrella that includes Chicano theatre mainly in the West and Southwest, Mexican-American theatre, Cuban-American theatre mostly in New York and Florida and Nuyorican a predominately Puerto Rican theatre in New York.
Hispanic theatre represents U.S. immigrants from Spain and every Spanish-speaking country in the Western Hemisphere but, the theatre derives manly from Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico. The theatre has extensive history in the conquest of the New World as early plays portrayed messages that supported the mission of the military and missionaries bringing Christianity to native populations. Hispanic theatre is an umbrella that includes Chicano theatre mainly in the West and Southwest, Mexican-American theatre, Cuban-American theatre mostly in New York and Florida and Nuyorican a predominately Puerto Rican theatre in New York.